


Time Lord SOS

by Goldy



Series: The Doctor and Rose have a dog named Horse [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 05:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/883346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldy/pseuds/Goldy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> “I’ve regenerated,” he said, so softly that Rose almost thought he was trying to deflect her again.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time Lord SOS

Something wet dragged across Rose’s face.

“Geroff,” she mumbled, pulling the blankets up to her neck and rolling over.

The wet thing dragged across her other cheek.

“ _Doctor_!” she yelped. They’d _talked_ about the licking thing. She reached out to swat him away, but her fingers brushed against something wet, hairy, and very inhuman.

Rose was suddenly wide awake. She rolled back over and opened her eyes. Horse, their new dog, stared back at her, his tail wagging. His tongue lolled out of his mouth like he was grinning at her and he pushed his two floppy ears back hopefully. Even though Horse was still a puppy, he was all ready about Tony’s size and seemed perfectly at home on the Doctor’s side of the bed.

Rose flopped back against the pillows. “You know you’re not allowed on the bed.”

Horse whined softly.

“No, that’s not gonna work on me.”

Horse pressed his wet nose up against Rose’s chin. And then licked her neck.

Rose sighed and idly reached out to scratch Horse’s ears.

“You’ve got to go out, yeah? That’s what you get for drinking out of the toilet bowl, you stupid mutt.” She shook her head. “I’d have reckoned the Doctor would pick the smartest dog in the universe and then he came back with you.”

Horse pulled back and wagged his tail again, staring at Rose hopefully.

“All right,” said Rose, throwing back the covers. “Let’s go.”

Horse jumped to the ground and ran around at Rose’s feet, yelping excitedly. “ _Shhh_ ,” Rose hissed, reaching for her dressing gown. “Our neighbours all ready think we’re completely mad.”

Horse pushed his ears back contritely, but then zoomed out of the room. Rose heard him trotting down the hall before he came running back. He skidded to a halt in the door to the room and stilled, cocking his head to one side as if to ask her what was taking so long.

Rose smiled to herself, and Horse stayed long enough to make sure she was following before taking off down the hall again. It was dark outside, but the lights from the street cast shadows over the flat. Rose could just make out the Doctor’s various knick-knacks and doodads cluttering up their living room—there were self-operating vacuums and radios that picked up signals from the other end of the universe; a confiscated Time Agency teleport pod and a broken Sycorax communicator; a tree ornament from the annual Tyler Christmas party and a pine tree branch.

The clutter drove her barmy sometimes, but she knew it was the Doctor’s way of trying to find out who he was in this universe. Eventually she hoped that he’d find a project that would stick. Besides, she didn’t mind paying the bills and looking out for him in the meantime. She couldn’t exactly see the Doctor working at an ordinary 9 to 5 job anyway. And it wasn’t like she was short of money in this universe.

The only row they had was when he brought Horse home from the pound. Horse wasn’t like a universal remote control or a Christmas tree decoration—he was a real living _thing_ that had to be fed and taken out for walks and looked after. She worked all day, and she didn’t trust the Doctor not to get bored and toss him away with the rest of his forgotten projects after three weeks.

To Rose’s surprise, Horse quickly established himself as _her_ dog. She knew Horse and the Doctor got on okay when she was at work, but as soon as she was home, Horse rarely let her out of his sight. She was beginning to suspect that Horse and the Doctor even competed over who got to greet her first when she came home.

Up ahead, Horse pawed at the door before turning around and giving Rose a piteous stare. But Rose’s attention was now fixed on the corner office. Light shone out into the hall from where the door was open a crack.

She paused, gaze slowly going from the office and back to Horse. Horse’s tail drooped between his legs in disappointment.

“I’m just going to say ‘hi,’” Rose said. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Horse’s ears twitched as he absorbed that, and then he took off full-speed towards the office, flinging the door open and running around in circles inside, yelping excitedly.

She heard a startled shout from inside, and then a familiar male voice said, “Blimey, I think my heart just stopped.”

Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Sorry,” she said from the doorway. Horse stopped his running and then bounded over to where the Doctor was sitting, resting his head on the Doctor’s knee. The Doctor sighed and patted Horse on the head before looking over at Rose.

Rose choked back another chuckle. The Doctor’s glasses were sitting crookedly across his nose and there was a yellow post-it note stuck to his forehead. Horse wagged his tail happily as she approached them.

“Doesn’t he ever settle down?” asked the Doctor. “Surely he can’t _still_ have this much energy.”

“Imagine what it’s like living with both of you,” Rose muttered. The Doctor frowned, but Rose ignored him and plucked the post-it note off his forehead.

“Ooh, I was wondering where that went.”

Rose looked down at the post-it note. It was covered in unintelligible squiggles. “Gallifreyan?” she said, handing it back to him.

“Yup,” said the Doctor. “I needed to make some very advanced calculations, Rose.”

“It’s this week’s grocery list again, isn’t it?”

“Well… maybe.”

Rose’s eyes ticked to the desk where what looked like half a coconut projected an alien slide-show on the wall. She stared at the projection for a few moments. It looked… like a demonstration on how to safely fire up a stove in an igloo? Rose blinked.

The Doctor followed her gaze. “It’s the Inquilet,” he said. “D’you think we could try building an igloo next winter? I bet Tony would love that.”

Rose decided not to answer that. “Why’re you still up?”

He shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Doctor, you’re looking at _igloos_. Projected by a coconut. Even for you that’s…” she decided not to finish that thought. “What’s wrong?”

“Horse was there. You two seemed… comfortable.”

“Oh, come on, you didn’t stay in here just ‘cos of the dog.”

The Doctor shrugged ambiguously and didn’t answer. Instead his gaze ticked to the half coconut projector thingie. Rose covered up a sigh. The Doctor might be half-human now, but it was still near impossible to get him to say anything important.

“Besides,” she continued, “I’d rather have you there.”

The Doctor’s eyes lit up hopefully. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” said Rose. Then she reached out and straightened his glasses. The Doctor gave her such a heart-warming smile that she slid one arm around his neck and sat herself down in his lap. The Doctor’s arms encircled her waist and she leaned into him, taking a few moments to just enjoy being snuggled up close to him.

Then something wet pushed itself between them, pressing insistently against Rose’s side and whining softly.

“Rose!” the Doctor said, in a tone of voice remarkably close to Horse’s whining.

Rose sighed and pulled back to find two sets of plaintive brown eyes staring at her. “Horse wants to go out.”

The Doctor sent Horse a dark look and then tightened his arms around Rose’s waist, pulling her in close again. Rose rested her against his shoulder, and slowly she felt him begin to relax.

“Really, though, what’s gotten into you?” she whispered. She didn’t get an answer, so she raised her voice. “And don’t tell me it’s ‘cos of the dog. That’s just daft.”

“Rose, I’m a Time Lord—”

“Part Time Lord.”

“All right, but the point still stands. I don’t need rest like you humans do. I need… I need…”

Rose shifted, gaze now level with one sideburn. “Yeah?” He was quiet, so she nuzzled her nose against his cheek before dropping her voice. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’ve regenerated,” he said, so softly that Rose almost thought he was trying to deflect her again.

“What?”

“I’ve regenerated—I mean, _him_. The Doctor. The other Doctor.”

“You’ve...” she trailed off, hands clutching him more insistently. “You can tell.”

“Yup.”

She shifted on his lap, mind whirling. “When did it happen?”

“Recently.” He paused and stared off into space. “I sense him sometimes—bits and pieces here and there. But _massive_ amounts of energy go into a regeneration. It’s… it’s a Time Lord crying out. With all my people gone.... well, it would be almost impossible to ignore.”

She took that in. “What, it’s like Time Lord SOS?”

He smiled thinly. “Sort of, yeah.”

Rose nodded and then took a deep breath. “Was he alone?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did it hurt?”

The Doctor quickly glanced away and didn’t answer. Right. She was guessing that dying and regenerating every cell always hurt. Without thinking, she said, “I wish I could have been there.”

The Doctor blinked, seemingly shaken out of his musings. “I’m sorry?”

“I just...” she looked down and settled for staring at his tie. “I wish I could be there for him.”

“Oh.”

“You never _explain_ ,” Rose continued. “What if he’s with someone who has no idea what’s happening? Or isn’t with someone at all? I just...”

“Rose, he’s done this before.”

“I know that. But I hate thinking about him—out there, all on his own.”

The Doctor watched her with sad eyes. Even though his arms were still around her, she suddenly felt like he was millions of miles away. “He’s all right, Rose.”

“I didn’t mean...”

“You’re worried about him,” the Doctor said. He didn’t sound hurt or annoyed and Rose relaxed. “But it’s… it’s part of being a Time Lord. New body, new start… new everything. He’s had 900 years to adjust.”

“Yeah.” They regarded each other for a second and then Rose said, “What about you?” Another thought struck her. “Will it hurt you? Can you feel it?”

“No,” he said quickly. “Nothing like that. I can sense it, that’s all.”

“Good,” Rose said, releasing a breath. “I’m glad.”

“He’ll be a whole new person by now,” he mused. “He could look like anyone— _be_ anyone. And I’ll... I’ll never know.”

“Is that so bad, though?” Rose said. The Doctor stared at her blankly, and she felt stupid and human. How could she explain to him how very _odd_ the idea of changing your entire body and personality was? But he’d gone his entire life knowing he had a second chance. Sometimes she forgot how differently they could still see things. “He could have two heads.”

“Now _that’s_ a good point.”

“Bit dodgy, that process,” Rose reminded him. She looped one of her fingers around his tie, thumb idly smoothing back and forth. _I’m glad it’s not you_ , she thought and didn’t stay.

He stared at her intently. “I’m… me,” he said slowly, “The _only_ me. I’m the only person in the whole universe wearing this face.”

“I love your face,” Rose said softly.

The Doctor smiled at her fondly. “I know.”

“I don’t want you to change,” she confessed, feeling slightly ashamed. “I’m glad that…” she didn’t know how to finish that. Would she love whatever form the other Doctor had now? Of course she would. But he wouldn’t be the same—he’d be someone new, someone she’d have to learn all over again. “I’m glad that you’re you.”

He reached for her hand. “I’m glad that I’m me, too.”

Rose reached out to ruffle his hair with her free hand. The Doctor closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. She smiled at him and kissed his forehead. He kept his eyes closed and she could sense his breathing beginning to even out.

There was a soft whine and Rose glanced over. Horse put one paw up on the chair and was now eyeing her with a warning in his eyes—as if to say that the Doctor had his time, and now it was _his_ turn.

When she turned back around, the Doctor was watching her with soft and sleepy eyes. She ruffled his hair again and then climbed off his lap. He frowned at her, but Horse’s tail wagged happily back and forth.

“I’ve _really_ got to take him out,” Rose said.

Horse’s tail now looked in danger of wagging itself off. He shivered excitedly and then bounded out of the room and down the hall. She heard him pawing at the front door.

“Just hold on a minute!” Rose called. She turned back to the Doctor. “Do me one favour?”

The sleepy eyes blinked shut and then opened again. “Anything.”

“Go to _bed_ ,” Rose said. “It’s bloody cold out there. We’ll be making igloos in no time. I need someone to warm up the blankets for me.”

Some alertness came back into his gaze. He tugged on one of her arms, pulling her in for a long and lingering kiss before releasing her. His eyes stayed closed and she worried that he might have fallen asleep, but then he dragged himself to his feet.

“Yes, sir.”

****

Horse pulled Rose along at a breakneck speed, periodically coming to an abrupt stop to sniff the ground or lift his leg and pee. Rose smiled at him vaguely, misty eyes blinking against the cool night air. Every few seconds she tilted her head back and counted the stars.

It was three blocks from the flat when she began to cry.

Warm tears pooled in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks, splashing against the open collar of her jacket. Oblivious, Horse tugged her along, eagerly sniffing at the bottom of a fire hydrant.

Rose kept up with him as best as she could, but her legs grew weaker and her knees began to shake. A block later she came across a bench and she sunk into it gratefully before putting her hands to her face and crying in earnest.

A heaving sob left her lips and she heard Horse croon from in front of her, obviously thrown by this turn of events. His soft whines only made her cry harder. She shuddered once, twice, and then sucked in a breath, trying to relax.

Horse came over and pawed at her legs, his whines growing louder. Rose allowed herself one more sob before she brushed her hair back and dropped her hands back down to her lap.

Horse stared up at her, ears flat and pushed back as far as they would go, tail caught between his legs. “Sorry,” she said. “It’s just…” Just what? It made no sense. She’d been fine back there, talking to the Doctor. She thought she’d said goodbye to his duplicate a long time ago.

Horse tilted his head to the side like he was listening to her and then came over and rested his head on her lap. His eyes gazed up at hers hopefully. She idly stroked the back of his head.

“I guess… a part of me always thought that I’d be there holding his hand when it happened.” She swallowed. “That sounds so daft.”

Horse turned his head and licked her arm and then wagged his tail tentatively. Rose scratched his ears.

“But now there’s a version of the Doctor out there that I know nothing about, and it’s just… it’s just…” she trailed off. “I guess I hadn’t let go of him as well as I thought I had.”

Horse nudged her hand with his nose and then turned around to stare back at their flat.

“Yeah,” Rose said. “Let’s go.”

****

The Doctor was in bed by the time she got back. She got changed in a hurry, trying to be as quiet as possible. Horse looked disgruntled that his spot on the bed was no longer open, but went over to curl up in the corner.

Back in her knickers and a t-shirt, Rose slid into her side of the bed, shivering. She closed her eyes.

“Rose.”

Her eyes snapped back open. The Doctor was staring at her. She blinked at him and said, “I thought you were asleep.”

He ignored that. “You’ve been crying.”

She shook her head, ready to deny it, but then gave in. “Only for a little bit. I was just…” she hesitated. “I was saying goodbye.”

The Doctor opened his arms. “Come on.”

Rose scooted into his arms and the Doctor pulled the duvet up around both of them. “I think I’ll stay home from work tomorrow,” she said.

“Yeah?” His voice was warm against her ear.

“We can work on that toaster-magno cell divider you were going on about. Might be nice.”

“Well, Horse will certainly be happy to have you home,” he said. “He… gets lonely when you’re at work all day.”

“I’m sure he does,” Rose said with some amusement. “Doctor?”

“Hmm?”

How does it feel, she wanted to ask, knowing that your face was yours again? She breathed him in—he smelled like hair gel and jam and coconut. It was so familiar and so very him.

She threaded her fingers through his and held on tightly. “I’m glad that you’re still here.”

"Yeah," he said vaguely. Then he squeezed her hand and smiled. "Yeah." 


End file.
